Broken News: Former NFL Player Davis to Head You Can Play

There was some news that came out earlier this week that you may not have heard about, or cared about.  Sports news, that it.  This news is unlikely to have popped up on your score ticker and unfortunately did not break through A-Rod’s stranglehold on the media spotlight.  No, you probably missed it.  But it is important – very important – news that you need to know.

Wade Davis has been named Executive Director of You Can Play.

Davis played in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Washington.  After struggling to make it through training camp and off of the practice squad, Davis retired due to injury.  After his playing career was over, Davis came out publicly that he is gay.

Even though he was finished with the NFL, he did not let the status of being a former professional athlete go to waste.  Davis started a media company, InMotion, and has enjoyed a career as an LGBT activist.  He has had work published on websites like Outsports, Huffington Post, and New York Times.  Davis has spent nearly three years working with inner-city LGBT youth.

USA TODAY

Patrick Burke is the brain behind You Can Play.  Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, put the idea into motion in 2011 after his openly gay brother, Brendan, was killed in a car accident.  Burke wanted to continue the legacy that his brother had begun.

Since 2011, You Can Play has become one of the most well-known activist organizations for the LGBT community in sports.  They counseled Toronto Blue Jays’ shortstop Yunel Escobar after he wrote a homophobic slur on his eye-black.  You Can Play has also begun a groundbreaking partnership with the NHL to provide training and seminars in various LGBT related areas.

Over the past year, You Can Play has been linked in a mentoring role to a group of potentially four professional athletes that were planning on coming out at the same time. 

Although he is stepping down as the public head of You Can Play, Burke will remain heavily involved in the organization’s planning and vision.  Davis, Burke says, is the only man he would trust in the position.

The news may not have made your radar, but it should have.  It’s important – very important – news.  What Burke has accomplished in a little over two years is remarkable and the room for growth is still tremendous.  In order to continue improving the climate for the LGBT community in sports, groups like You Can Play are invaluable.  Like it or not, with leagues partnering with LGBT activist groups, the conversation is here to stay.

Now it is up to Wade Davis to continue the conversation that Patrick Burke started.

Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Dollars & Sense: NBA Rebranding in New Orleans and Charlotte

This week marks the beginning of the conference finals in the NBA playoffs – Memphis Grizzlies against the San Antonio Spurs (Spurs lead 2-0) in the west and the Miami Heat against the Indiana Pacers (Heat lead 1-0) in the east.  However, this week has been the week for the losers.  Between the NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday and the current rebranding efforts in New Orleans and Charlotte, the losers are becoming just a little bit more lovable.  Or at least they are trying to be anyway.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans franchise has been marred by weak performances over the years and even weaker stability.  Making their debut in the league as the Charlotte Hornets in 1988 alongside the Miami Heat, the Hornets were constantly struggling in their first three years.  Names like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Glen Rice helped build the franchise to the point where Rice led them to their first back-to-back NBA playoff appearances in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Rice, Bogues, and Mourning (Soletron.com)

However, attendance and fan base found themselves in rapid decline after the 1997-98 season.  Dropping from their peak in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons where they averaged 24,042 fans per game, the Hornets found themselves averaging only 11,286 in 2001-02.  That was the final straw for the franchise in Charlotte.

The Hornets relocated their franchise to New Orleans searching for greener pastures and greener wallets.  What they found was a relatively small increase in attendance though.  In the 2003-04 season, the Hornets ranked 28^th in the NBA in attendance. 

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the New Orleans franchise split their time in Oklahoma City due to the destruction in their home city.  Though the Hornets played in Oklahoma City to wonderful attendance success – proven success that later aided the Seattle Super Sonics in their controversial relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008 – it was not their home town.

Now settled back into their home in New Orleans with a couple of high profile talents on their roster in Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, the franchise is beginning to feel like they have an identity again.  One problem… The Hornets name is still from their Charlotte days.  They want their own.

Enter the New Orleans Pelicans.  Currently undergoing the transformation, the Pelicans are now official and awaiting game one of the 2013-14 regular season to show it off.  After walking away with the sixth pick in this summer’s NBA Draft after Tuesday’s draft lottery, the Pelicans will look to add some more fire power to their young squad.

ESPN.com

The early stages of the transition from the menacing Hornets to the seemingly friendly Pelicans has been met with its fair share of criticism.  Is the criticism warranted?  It is tough to say because anybody can sit back and criticize when they have not been in the driver’s seat on this type of decision.   Let’s just give them their credit in that the logo designers made the most intimidating pelican possible.  And let’s be honest, the New Orleans franchise was doomed for a unfitting name when the Utah Jazz – Utah! – took the Jazz nickname.

Charlotte Hornets

After the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans in 2002, the city was left without an NBA franchise.  However, despite the declining attendance numbers that pushed the Hornets to New Orleans in the first place, the NBA saw potential. 

NBA.com

The city was not without an NBA franchise for long as the Bobcats were born in 2004, two years after the Hornets left.  Expansion had been on the mind of the NBA for a little while, and Charlotte had supported a franchise in the past.  Had the NBA known the potential in Oklahoma City – potential that was not realized until after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – maybe Charlotte would still be waiting for the NBA’s return. 

Problem was that bobcats are not really synonymous with the Charlotte areas, or many areas in the world, so the nickname seemed a little bit out of left field.  Sure it sounds fierce, but that is not the point.  In the NBA where there are so many classic team names - think Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, 76ers -  few people could envision the Bobcats (or the Pelicans for that matter) becoming a name of that stature.

But now, with the Hornets becoming the Pelicans in New Orleans, the window is now open for the Bobcats to return to their roots by switching back to the Hornets.  Basically, now instead of having two cities with confused nicknames, we have one wrong righted and one team still trying to figure it out and create their own identity.

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Regardless of how you feel about the Pelicans or the Hornets or the Bobcats, one thing will always ring true: winning cures everything.  Look at the opposite end of the spectrum in Major League Baseball last season with the Miami Marlins.  Known as the Florida Marlins since their first season in 1993, ownership decided to rebrand the team with new colors, a new ballpark, a new roster, and a more geographically narrowed home in Miami prior to the beginning of last season. 

Of course, we all know that the Marlins went on to completely implode last year finishing in last place in the National League East and resulting in the fire sale of players this past offseason, and now they are terrible again.  Oh, and attendance is back to its pre-Marlins Park numbers.  If the Marlins would have kept winning, then maybe they could have build on the momentum of the new park and the infusion of talent.  Now that would have been a rebranding success.

What has become a relatively quiet rebranding success is the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL.  With a rich history in the WHA and then the NHL from 1972-1996, the Jets were a relatively successful franchise before being moved to Phoenix to become the Coyotes in 1996.  Never missing the playoffs in more than two seasons in a row in their NHL days, the Jets were always in it.  In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and brought the tradition back to life.

This past season, the Jets found themselves four points behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but they were certainly in it.  Also, and probably more importantly, the Jets averaged 100-percent attendance with just over 15,000 fans per game (remember that basketball attendance capacities in arenas are higher than hockey).  It is hard to ask for more from a team that just wrapped up their second season in a new city.

By now, it should be clear that the key to rebranding success for the Pelicans and the Hornets is to do exactly the opposite that the Marlins did.  Winning is a major player in building a loyal fan base, and winning is something that the Marlins are not doing but the Jets are.  Whether it is the NBA or the MLB or the NHL or any other professional sports league in the world, the formula is simple.  Just win, baby. 


Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Quick Hits

You all know that the I-95 SportsBiz staff is always looking to give the people what they want. As requested, here are your Quick Hits for the week.


The New Yorker’s sports section The Sporting Scene featured a Gladwell-esque piece looking at whether birthplace effects chances of going professional.

Dan Wetzel continues his hold on the Penn State situation, this time coming for former PSU President Graham Spanier.

Tiger Woods criticizes course conditions early in the week going into The Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

Reds prospect Billy Hamilton is really really fast.

A survey conducted by Quinnipiac University favors the renaming of Beaver Stadium in honor of Joe Paterno.

Eagles quarterback Mike Vick says he was “better at reading dogs than defenses” in an interview with USA Today.

A menacing fan (or a menacing individual who is NOT a fan) throws tacks on a road used for the Tour de France route.

A note of caution to all our readers who train for various sporting events outdoors: Look out for angry otters!

If you love basketball and you love analytics, then you have to check this out!

The Poynter Review takes a look at ESPN’s coverage of the Freeh Report.

Deadspin breaks down how the Flyers’ offer sheet to Shea Weber gives a big middle finger to the NHL CBA.

Was letting Jeremy Lin walk to Houston a good idea by the Knickerbockers?  Grantland weighs in.

Troy Polamalu admits to hiding injuries to get back into games.

After some command issues, the Diamondbacks are sending their star prospect, Trevor Bauer, back to Triple A.

Jeff Caple writes a piece about The Incline at the London 2012 Olympics.

Bud Selig says that Major League Baseball is in no rush to put ads on jerseys.


How MLB teams are beginning to find diamonds in the rough as late-inning flamethrowers.

Not necessarily the caliber of a Jeff Passan piece, but this ESPN.com feature on Pittsburgh Pirates hometown hero Neil Walker does the trick.

Jordan Staal and the Art of Selling Out

For most sports fans and diehards, the free agency period can easily be the most exciting (or nerve-racking) part of the offseason.  For me, the NFL and NHL free agency periods are the most exciting.  We are currently in both the NHL and NBA free agency periods.  The NHL’s free agency has been much more fast-paced and interesting overall, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been in the middle of almost every major rumor going around.

Jordan Staal, the former Penguins’ star third line center, was not an unrestricted free agent heading into this offseason, he was entering the final year of a contract paying him $16 million over 4 years in Pittsburgh.  The Penguins were attempting to resign the underrated center, who had been in the shadows of superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are also centers.  Even though Staal had a year remaining on his current deal, the Penguins were obviously not confident he would they would be able to resign him after the 2012-13 season. 

It was first reported on June 21 that Jordan Staal turned down the Penguins 10-year contract extension offer.  Shortly after, Staal told Penguins’ GM Ray Shero that he would like to play for the Carolina Hurricanes, if the Pens could arrange a trade.   Before no time, Staal was a Hurricane.  Pittsburgh received C Brandon Sutter, D Brian Dumoulin, and the #8 pick in the NHL Draft, which they used to select D Derrick Pouliot.  That’s all terrific, Jordan, but here’s what isn’t…

On July 1, it was confirmed that the Hurricanes had signed Jordan Staal to a 10-year, $60 million offer.  It was then reported that the Penguins’ deal, which Staal rejected, was also around $60 million.  So let me get this straight, Jordan Staal would rather get paid the exact same amount to ruin his career in Carolina, as opposed to playing with two of the NHL’s best and having the chance at multiple Stanley Cups?  This is where things become a problem.  Hundreds of players, like Jordan Staal, would rather be in a more comfortable place, or get overpaid, to simply lose. 

The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, but since then, have missed the playoffs in 5 of 6 seasons.  In recent years, the ‘Canes have been the definition of inconsistency, and have not established any identity whatsoever.  Why would a young star like Staal, only 23, perhaps not even in the prime of his career, want to run away from a great chance of winning championships?  I understand his family lives in the area, and his brothers Eric (NHL) and Jared (AHL) are both in the Hurricanes’ organization.  I understand Jordan isn't a fan of big markets, so Raleigh might be his ideal city to play in.   But seriously, the Penguins are loaded, and will be one of the preseason favorites to win it all for years to come.  Staal will be stuck in Carolina, where his team will be lucky to make the playoffs, at least for the upcoming few years.

I question Jordan Staal’s passion for hockey and for winning in general.  If he had sold out for more money, I could maybe understand the decision a little bit more.  But to pass up an identical offer to play for a mediocre team, just because his family is nearby, is absolutely insane.  Eleven years from now, when his 10-year extension with Carolina expires, Staal will have one Stanley Cup championship…the one he earned with the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Oh, and to answer your question, no, I’m not a biased Pittsburgh Penguins fan.  I am a diehard New Jersey Devils fan who is also a realist.  

Jordan Staal, right, will now be teamed with brother Eric (left) in Carolina.  Can they turn the franchise into a winner?  Hey, if they can’t, maybe Jordan will head up to New York to play alongside brother Marc!

Brandt Frye is a Penn State sophomore sports journalism/sports broadcasting major.  Brandt has been an avid sports fanatic his entire life.  If it were up to him, his major would simply be “sports”. Growing up in Greensburg, PA, Brandt has long been determined to make a name for himself in the sports journalism/broadcasting field.

Broke Athletes

The average career of an NFL players is 3.5 years, in those years the average salary per season is $1.1 million. The average salary of an NBA player in 2012 was about $5 million. The average career length in the NBA is about 4.8 seasons. The MLB has the highest average career length at 5.6 seasons with an average salary of a little under $3.5 million. As for the NHL, the average salary is $2.4 million with an average career lasting 5.5 seasons. When reading these numbers, it is important to understand the word average. The average is skewed because the highest paid players in all leagues make considerably more than the lowest paid players. The income disparity that I previously wrote about gives a better understanding of what the minimum players can make. Even the players being paid the minimum salary, is a dream salary for most Americans.


The Problem

VERY Sad...

Salaries made by professional athletes in the big four sports would seem to most as substantial enough for living..... at a minimum. If athletes are getting paid enough, then why is it that I need to constantly read stories of athletes being broke? Nothing bothers me more than when I see stories of former professional athletes begging to play again or selling off precious memorabilia to stay afloat. Short term reasons for players becoming broke include poor play and injury. Players who make the minimum and only last a short time in their respective sport, whether due to poor play or injury, will not make enough money to last a lifetime. Many professional athletes forgo a college education or a chance to become skilled in something to make the dream of being a professional athlete a reality. It is difficult to fault players who make this decision, but unfortunately many of them end up broke because of the choices they made. On the flip side there are stories of successful professional athletes who end up broke. The reason for successful athletes ending up broke usually include poor financial management. One of many examples is a former NBA great, Allen Iverson. Iverson was (in my biased opinion) the most fearless and toughest pound-for-pound player in the history of the NBA. Including endorsements, Allen made over $200 million dollars while in the NBA. Although Iverson's pride would never allow him to admit his financial troubles, they are quite evident. Iverson went oversees to play basketball in Turkey, was offered a contract to play indoor soccer for the Rochester Lancers and is currently trying to get back in the NBA. Unfortunately, Iverson is one of many professional athletes to become broke after retiring. In fact within five years after retiring, 78% of NFL players and 60% of NBA players file for bankruptcy.

The Solution


The solution to the problem of broke athletes is not simple. Players who are broke due to a short career have only one option. That option is to become skilled in something else besides their sport. The solution for successful players becoming broke is more complicated. One solution is for players to have better control of their money (stop spending so much). This is easy for the average person to say, but many athletes have little money growing up and it is difficult to resist the temptations once acquiring such copious amounts of money. Another solution is to better train the players on how to use their money. The leagues currently have programs, often mandatory, in financial management. These could possibly be better utilized. Unfortunately the real solution for all broke athletes is personal choice, there is little that any outsider can do to fix that.

Final Thought


When I see a former athlete selling his championship ring to make enough money to pay the bills, I can't stand it. It would be much easier to see players save their money and live comfortably after retirement. The issue is, that it's their money. No person should have the right to tell athletes how to spend or save their money. Hopefully stories of broke athletes will help change the culture for current athletes, unfortunately this does not seem likely.





 @dmrosen7




Statistics from NFLplayers.com, USAtoday.com, Cbssports.com, Yahoosports.com, Forbes.com

The Debate: Hard Liquor and Sports

Today the I-95 SportsBiz team wanted to take the time to examine a controversial topic in the sports business world. While we think everything about sports are great, there are some issues out there both in the open and hidden. Here is one that we have been talking about here at I-95 and has been an age old debate. Please weigh in yourself in the comment section below.

Should professional sports leagues have liquor sponsors?

Kevin Rossi
This is such an interesting debate, but I think that it all seems a bit hypocritical. Beer sponsors are among the top spenders with any major North American sports franchise. As the fan experience becomes more and more relevant and teams start to care more, teams have added beverages other than beer to their repertoire. Hard liquor (and wine) are among those other adult beverages that have been added. I think it’s time for teams to stop beating around the bush and just acknowledge that they do have deals with these types of companies. Liquor companies have big bucks to spend, which will help increase team revenues through competition in higher sponsorship brackets and more visibility. There are plenty of crafty ways for liquor companies to market through sports teams (see beer companies and DD campaigns). I think it’s time to acknowledge liquors presence. This isn’t the Atlantic City boardwalk in Boardwalk Empire during prohibition. This is big time North American sports. They already sell and market beer. They sell hard liquor, so why not capitalize on liquor’s interest in sports? This is not a moral issue. Alcohol is acceptable in social environments in America. There is no reason to allow some alcohol and not other kinds. Let’s make this one right.

Drew Rosen
When fans tune into an NFL game, they expect beer advertising on TV. When fans go out to the ballpark to watch their favorite MLB team, they expect alcohol signage plastered on the outfield fence. This can be said for all of the major sports in our country. Is there something wrong with a culture of alcohol mixing with professional sport leagues? I don’t think so. The morality behind sport leagues being sponsored by liquor companies is an easy decision.... in my opinion. If teams and leagues are concerned about the message they are sending to the youth by advertising products containing alcohol, they should stop selling alcoholic beverages at the games. Teams and leagues generate significant revenue from the sale of alcohol at games and through advertising with alcohol companies. I see nothing wrong with selling alcohol at games nor do I see anything wrong with liquor companies sponsoring leagues and teams. I have heard debates that beer should be allowed but hard alcohol sponsorship should not be allowed. I really do not understand this argument. If leagues are showing that they condone the use of alcohol, then they should stick to their stance. American’s enjoy a drink at a game, leagues enjoy big sponsorship deals with liquor companies. Let them have what they want.

Seth Breeden
To be clear, yes, professional sports leagues should have liquor sponsors…big time liquor sponsors. As far as I’m concerned, “Official Liquor of…” is a very high-potential official sponsor category that has remained untapped for too long. The morality argument would make sense to me…if it wasn’t so hypocritical. If leagues didn’t have beer sponsors, and didn’t depend on alcohol sales as one of the highest revenue generating concessions, then I could understand why liquor would also be avoided. But that’s simply not the case. Beer sponsors are the largest spenders of sponsorship dollars in sports, and the most recognizable (if you didn’t see an ad for beer during a sporting event, that would be a miracle). So why is the idea of a liquor sponsor so taboo? There’s big money there, and alcohol is socially acceptable…I don’t think leagues would receive as much backlash as people might expect. If liquor sponsors indeed would be so detrimental to a brand, then highly marketable public figures wouldn’t get involved with such products either; celebrities try to protect their images just as much as sport franchises (i.e. Diddy and Ciroc Vodka or Sammy Hagar and Cabo Wabo Tequila or Dan Aykroyd and Crystal Head Vodka…they’re all heading straight to the bank with profits too). I think the leagues would be remissed if they didn’t jump on the liquor sponsor bandwagon. I don’t think they have any justifiable reason to avoid such corporate relationships. If they’re only reason is “morality”, they’re not fooling anyone...alcohol is already synonymous with sports.